Useful tips for everyday runners to reduce the risk of aches and pains or serious injuries
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Whether you are an elite athlete, a citizen athlete or just a casual-social runner, succumbing to any kind of injury when you run is one of the worst possible scenarios imagineable.
So we kick off our injury prevention for runners series this week with three simple tips from avid runner Paul Martin that you can easily remember and apply into your regular running routine.
1. Dynamic warm-ups over Static warm-ups
We cannot emphasize enough how warm-ups are critical before every run. Most people skip this step and dive straight into their runs, which not only increase their risk of contracting an injury significantly but also affects performance.
Incorporating dynamic warm-ups into your warm-up routine helps to increase body temperature, and having an active and full-body warm-up routine helps to increase the temperature of your body and increases blood flow.
This indirectly leads to better muscle performance.
Dynamic warm-up examples: High Knee Lifts, butt kicks, forward leg swings, lateral leg swings, skips
Static warm-up examples: Most regular stretches
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2. Land on your Mid-foot, not your Heel
Make a conscious effort to land on your midfoot. Most people land more on their heels when running, but long periods of exposure to landing on your heels has proven to be bad for the knee joints and may cause injury or faster wear and tear.
3. Change your Running Shoes regularly, do not overuse your shoes
If you are an avid runner who clocks significant mileage across the year, we strongly recommend you change your shoes regularly, either every three months or when you hit 500KM whichever comes first.
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Retiring your shoes is necessary as running in old or worn-out shoes offer you poor support and can lead to injuries. Running in overused shoes also increases the impact on your joints, which could cause significant discomfort and make for a much poorer running experience, on top aches and pains.